Introduction Yes. We’re all eager for our schools to reopen. The Covid-19 pandemic has now ravaged our country for over a year, killing more than half a million people, causing great economic hardship to all but the wealthiest, and exacting a savage psychological and emotional toll on our entire population. Everyone agrees. Social isolation and […]
REOPENING OUR SCHOOLS – A Teacher’s Perspective Read More »
This month may be the most crucial month in the history of the human species. if Trump gets another four years, the devastation he and his thugs will cause to democracy, civil society, social justice, and the environment will be irremediable for generations to come—possibly forever. NOW is our last chance for a Free and Fair Election in the USA. Now is the time to pause your “business as usual” and put your whole self into SAVING the WORLD from Trump. Volunteer today!
Election Season in the USA Read More »
An updated version of this post is now available on Medium, an online journal. Summer Solstice 2020. Personal and societal trauma have paralyzed my writing muscles. It’s been half a year since my last public blog post. What can I say about death, pandemic, and massive, violent political upheaval that might be comforting or of
Writing in the Time of Pandemic – A Work in Progress Read More »
When my editor told me I should find ways to give my protagonist more agency, I wasn’t sure what she meant. I didn’t recall ever having heard the word agency applied to a quality a character should have, although I imagined everyone else must know exactly what it meant for a character (person) to have
It took me three years to write the first draft of my novel, Fruit of the Devil. Writing was ecstasy—the story poured out of me as if it were being channeled. The characters came alive. Then I found out the horrible truth—that “writing is rewriting”—and I embarked upon what has now become five years of revising, editing,
Rough Cut Resurrected: Watsonville Peace & Unity March Read More »
Years ago, in my first draft of Fruit of the Devil, I described my protagonist’s research into the multinational corporate persons who control global chemical-intensive agriculture. The passage is obviously too long and didactic to include in my novel, but a friend recently encouraged me to resurrect this buried limb of Fruit of the Devil,
Rough Cut: The Devil’s Family Tree & the House of Butterflies Read More »
Here’s a nice song to listen to if you don’t mind having a second window open while looking at the slides. I am an American Citizen. A Patriot. My family has lived, worked (mostly as coal miners, farmers, and teachers), loved and died on American soil for over 400 years. I love my country. I’m
March for Science ~ Washington D.C. Earth Day, 2017 Read More »
I’m Stepping back, to gain a little perspective. Please listen with me to “From a Distance”. (audio file) (Seriously, I mean really CLICK on the audio link above and listen to the song while you read) Breathe. Shortly after the election, gasping for air, feeling as if I were turning to stone like the woman
Gaining Perspective: “From a Distance, You Look Like My Friend” Read More »